Beach resort owners seek help from task force

BAGAC, Bataan: Some 16 registered beach resort owners whose establishments face the South China Sea here on Sunday asked the provincial government to create a task force that will help them solve their urgent problems.

Amando Fajardo, president of Bagac Beach Resort Owners Association, pointed to “fly-by-night” beach resorts that operate during summer and illegal operators using foreshores, as well as narrow roads leading to their businesses and stray dogs.

“If the task force will be created to look after these problems, beach resorts in Bagac will prosper. I think Morong [town]has the same predicament,” he said.

Fajardo, owner of a beach resort carrying his family name, said the task force should be composed of representatives from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), provincial tourism office and other agencies that can implement existing ordinances.

He said the task force should report directly to Gov. Albert Garcia.

The BIR, Fajardo added, can run after the illegitimate beach resort operators for payment of permits and taxes while the DENR can look into the operation of illegal resorts on foreshores.

He said the “fly-by-night” beach resorts sprout during summer and compete with legal operators.

The DPWH, according to Fajardo, can investigate road encroachments by informal settlers.

He asked the provincial tourism office to give priority attention to Bagac and Morong.

“These two towns were declared by the Department of Tourism as tourist areas but we observed that these were left out and not given enough focus,” Fajardo explained.

He said there is no more need to lure visitors to Bagac because the town was “discovered” by local tourists during the recent Asia-Pacific Economic conference held at famous theme park Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.